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Sumit SinghalSumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination.

The Brighton townhouses address the strong desire to live comfortably, maximising area on a more compact site. Gone are the days of abundant grounds. Inner Melbourne markets require maximising the built area and creating smaller outdoor spaces that work efficiently, even in some of the more prosperous suburbs. 2 x large 3 storey townhouses including basement each now sit comfortably on the site where originally a single dilapidated house was located.

The minimalist contemporary design provides a seamless indoor-outdoor living space with a large fully glazed kitchen/dining/ living room opening on the side and rear via full width sliding doors to the entertainer’s courtyards and glass tiled pool. The pool wraps around the main indoor / outdoor living areas.

The glazed entry enclosure aligned to view the pool beyond opens on tothe sculptural circular staircase which transcends all three levels. This provides the pivotal drama to the entrance of the property. The cylindrical form which houses the stairs projects out of the building on the side, finishing this double height spacefrom the ground,with a large circular skylight above which floods the space in natural light.

The design explores a minimalist pallet of materials finished in pure white render. Matching white metal louvers on the front and rear provide privacy from the neighbouring townhouse and break up the simple shapes of stacked cantilevered cuboidal forms. The dark coloured finishes of the otta coloured oak wood flooring, PietroGrigio marble and grey mink coloured carpet contrast with the white walls and add warmth and richness. The pure white house is further accentuated by the vivid colours of the artwork.

On the first floor 3 generous sized bedrooms enjoy access to private en-suites, walk in robes and balconies. Theseare connected via a gallery walkway with a continuous skylight running along the length. This has been broken up into 8 glazed sections with gimbled lights in each section projecting on paintings below.

The basement houses cinema, cellar, gymnasium and a 5 car garage with turntable.